Jazz may have started in New Orleans, but by the 1940s and ‘50s it 'modernized' its approach with the sound of pianist/band leaders like Count Basie and Duke Ellington and soon to be popularized by Glenn Miller and The Andrews Sisters. Since Jazz music has a lot of faces we present here a variety of international jazz recordings.
Lionel Hampton is one of the biggest names in Jazz although he is called the Hamp, the King of the vibraphone, and his presentation here is mandatory. Let's slip to postwar Germany when liberated jazz musicians could act out their music again. 'Berlin Calling' and 'Jazz aus der Eierschale' (Jazz from the eggshell - egshell = Eierschale, name of a famous jazz club) shows intensively the greatness of German jazz musicians in collaboration with international jazzers. 
Ella Fitzgerald and Artie Shaw are two more big names in the history of jazz. We present here their finest live appearances from the 1930s, both concerts in high quality sound in consideration of the then technical possibilities.